Fury at "insensitive and inappropriate" plans rushed into committee
Ashchurch Residents Association are organising two protests on Wednesday, December 16 to show their opposition to a proposed development of 282 Goldhawk Road.
The residents are protesting at 10am at the scene of the planned development and then at 6.30pm outside Hammersmith Town Hall, ahead of a planning committee meeting at 7pm where the development is expected to be approved.
Local people living in the Starch Green Conservation Area claim that the development proposed by Places for People to build 66 houses on the site of a former old people's home is being rushed through by the committee, with papers recommending its approval published even before the formal consultation period closed.
The association, who last week produced a 400 strong petition against the development, say there is unanimous opposition to it from local residents. They are now asking for the hearing to be deferred until January so proper consideration can be given to the many objections.
The association also point out to Hammersmith and Fulham's Conservative Council that shadow cabinet member David Willets MP who lives locally has signed their petition.
Chairperson of Ashchurch Residents Association, Fiona Anderson, says: "I can not understand why the council has rushed this application into committee in December at such speed. All they have achieved is to infuriate residents - already angry about the insensitive and inappropriate development - who now feel their right to object is being undermined and ignored.
" What’s more, the council decided to publish its paper a week before the consultation date closed. It puts the lie to the council's slogan Putting Residents First, to be seen to behave in this highhanded way.
" Furthermore, there are major errors and omissions in the developers' application and in the planning officers' report. You’d have thought they would want to take time to get things right rather than rush to committee with a recommendation that leaves them open to legal challenge.
" We continue to ask for the application to be considered in January. If they persist in going ahead Wednesday night, and it is passed by the Conservative majority committee, we shall take a maladministration case to the Local Government Ombudsman and seek for a call in to the Secretary of State.
" It reflects badly on the council that residents around the Goldhawk Industrial Estate were forced to take the same course only a few months ago. The Secretary of State has now frozen that development, and we hope for the same.
December 16, 2009
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